Tuesday, 2 April 2013

SIMPLE UMRAH GUIDE - STEP BY STEP UMRAH

Table of contents - Article Edited on 16.4.20141) Steps to be taken before commencing the journey
(1.a) Women are not allowed to travel without a Mehram
(1.b) Preprations before Leaving for Umrah / Haj
2) The concession of shortening and joining the prayers during your journey
2a) The Pillars of Umrah

3) Entering the state of Ihraam before Meeqat

4) Entering Masjid al-Haram

5) Tawaaf (circumambulation)

6) Maqaam e Ibraahim (the station of Prophet Ibraaheem peace be upon him)

7) Drinking ZamZam water

8) Saa’ee (the 7 rounds between Safaa and Marwaa)

9) Trimming or shaving the hair and completing the Umrah

3a) Meeqat and its details

4a) Ihraam and its details

5a) Entering Masjid al Haram and Tawaaf details

6a) Maqaame Ibraaheem and its details

7a) Drinking Zam Zam water and its details

8a) Saa’e and its details

10) Mistakes that a Muhrim should avoid and a list of violations committed during Hajj and umrah and their subsequent fidyah (penalties)

11) The dire warning and consequence of practising an innovation (big or small)

12) Some common mistakes (innovations) scores of people indulge in

13) Some mistakes and Misunderstandings of women during pilgimage

14) Links to various du`a booklets you can download and use during your Hajj and umrah

SOME IMPORTANT POINTS AND TIPS TO REMEMBER - NOT GIVEN IN THE ABOVE ARTICLE

Always make sure you learn to memorize or read the du`a from the ARABIC script and not the english or roman english transliteration as it has a huge affect on the pronounciation. MAKE sure you pronounce the words properly

There are 3 pillars of `Umrah without which `Umrah is invalid and no compensation can cover it up . They are the Ihram, the Tawaf and the Sai. [ see the above article for details of each rukn ] As for wajibaat then there are two a) the entering into the state of the Ihraam BEFORE the meeqat point (if one forgets or fails to do so he can enter the state of ihram by wearing the 2 white clothes and uttering the verbal intention as shown in the document but he has to give a dumm or a compensation which is a sheep or fasting 3 days or feeding 6 people ] b) the cutting or shaving of your hair [ failure to do so will again require a dumm/compensation] Note: those who aren't shaving but trimming make sure you trim or cut your hair evenly from your entire head and not pick like chickens from in between. this is playing with the shar`iah. an extra 90 seconds and few grams of hair volume isn't going to harm you And other than the wajibat and arkaan and the prohibitions enforced upon a Muhrim during his state of Ihraam, every other thing is sunnah mu`akkadah and leaving the adhkaar or dhikr is not a sin if one ends up forgetting what to recite while climbing safa or similar sunnah adhkaar during `Umrah. 1) When you are going to finish your 7th circuit of tawaaf , i.e the last one then when you reach the hajr aswad (black stone) there is no need to again kiss the black stone or say Bismillah allahu Akbar by raising your right hand palm towards the stone. Because that is done to begin a new circuit and here you have finished 7 circuits so no need to do that again. 2) Likewise in safa wal Marwa. The du`a recited at the top of safa and marwa while facing the qiblah is not to be done at your last standing on Marwa because your 7th circuit would end at marwa so here you do not have to face the qiblah and recite the du`as again. 3) You can put atar on your BODY (only, and not clothes) before wearing the Ihram clothes , whether you put it right after shower at your home, airport, or at the meeqat for those travelling by road, it doesn't matter. Meaning until and unless you don't enter the state (haal) of ihraam you are allowed to put perfume but on your body only. to explain using an example : Say you are at the meeqat and taking a shower . After shower you put the `atar on your BODY ONLY and then wear the two white pieces of cloth . Then you come out of the shower rooms , face the qiblah and then make a niyah of Ihram by saying Labbayk Allahumma `Umrah or Labbayk allahum Hajj (whatever you are doing `umrah or hajj) and now once you have said this, you have entered the state of Ihram and thus any perfume be it on body or on clothes is haraam until you come out of the state of Ihraam. 4) There are some narrations from the salafus saliheen that when they glanced at the Ka`bah first time they made some du`a as they liked. But the concept of having it accepted when made upon your first glance is not known. It is reported from some of the sahaaba that they said : Allahumma Antas salaam wa minkas salaam fa-hayyina rabbana bis-salaam5) Praying tahiyattul Masjid before the tawaaf is against the sunnah in Haram. When you have come for `Umrah you directly start with tawaaf and not pray any tahiyatul masjid 6) Since the prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam had to swiftly run the first 3 circuits it is thus most likely that he did not raise his hands to make du`a during the tawaaf. In other words, it is not proven from the prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam to have raised his hand during tawaaf and sai (between safa and marwa) to make du`a. rather he has made du`a without raising his hands Note: both during tawaaf and sai one can make du`a in any language he pleases. See the Umrah document above for details. 7) After finishing your tawaaf of 7 curcuits plus praying two rak`ah after tawaaf anywhere in the masjid Plus drinking and pouring (some not taking a shower) water on your head, now if possible then go back to the Hajr aswad and kiss it (this is called as istilaam) and if not then merely point at it with your right hand being straight in line with it, just the way you did during tawaaf, and say allahu akbar and then directly move towards safa wal Marwa Note: the 2 rak`ah after the tawaaf is something to be done everytime you do tawaaf irrespective of whether you are doing it for Umrah hajj or just regular voluntary tawaaf. Everytime you finish 7 circuits, you have to pray 2 rak`ah by default 8) now When you ascend or start climbing the Safa you recite this short passage from surah baqrah : Innas safa wal Marwata min Sha`air-Allah (Verily Safa and Marwah are the two signs/symbols of allah - no need to recite the entire full verse) and then say " Abdau Bima Bada-Allahu bihi (I begin with what Allah began with) . These two short passages are to be recited WHILE CLIMBING the safa or before fully ascending on to itfor what to do after this see the `Umrah document above 9) It is mandatory to have wudu during tawaaf but not during sai 10) If during tawaaf you break your wudu say during your 3rd circuit then according to one opinion of scholars you leave, make wudu and rejoin and continue from where you left and according to another you start the 7 circuits again. 10+ WAYS FROM SUNNAH TO MAKE YOURS AND OTHER'S LIVES EASY DURING UMRAH : http://the-finalrevelation.blogspot.com/2015/01/10-ways-to-make-your-and-others-lives.html